Giorgi Gelkhauri, the lawyer for Irakli Chikhladze, who was detained on espionage charges, stated that his client has absolutely nothing to do with espionage activity, and that the materials presented by the investigation do not support the charges brought against him.
He reported that after reviewing the case files, the defense found no evidence indicating any activity by Chikhladze against the interests of Georgia.
“I have never seen such absurdity. Irakli has absolutely nothing to do with any espionage activity,” he stated.
Gelkhauri noted that he cannot disclose details of the case because he signed a non-disclosure agreement, but emphasized that the materials contain no evidence to justify accusing his client of espionage.
Gelkhauri also denied any link between Chikhladze’s case and that of Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, who was detained on the same day on similar charges.
“These are two independent cases. They are only connected by the article under which the investigation is being conducted,” the lawyer explained.
According to him, Chikhladze does not plead guilty and maintains his innocence.
“He says he did not commit any actions that could harm the country’s interests,” the defense attorney noted.
The lawyer stated that he would seek the release of Irakli Chikhladze without any restrictive measures, as he believes there are insufficient grounds for the case.
As a reminder, the SGB (State Security Service of Georgia) announced on May 30 the detention of two individuals in connection with an espionage case. Initially, their names were not disclosed.
It later became known that one of the detainees was Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, who, according to investigators, was linked to the intelligence services of two foreign states and allegedly carried out parallel intelligence activities.
The second detainee is Irakli Chikhladze, the brother of journalist Giga Chikhladze, who was killed in 2008. According to the investigation, acting on instructions from a foreign intelligence service, he coordinated a network of several individuals, managed their activities, and ensured the collection and transmission of information.